6 Ideas to Try Right Now
Animal Walks
- 1Call out different animals.
- 2Challenge your child to walk/move like that animal.
- 3Try crab crawl, frog jumps, bear walks!
Shadow Puppets
- 1Darken the room and point a lamp at the wall.
- 2Use your hands to make animal shadows.
- 3Tell a story with shadow characters.
Toy Car Wash
- 1Fill a shallow tray with warm soapy water.
- 2Give your toddler plastic toy cars and a toothbrush.
- 3Let them scrub the cars clean.
Water Tray Pouring
- 1Put a towel on the floor and set a shallow tray on it.
- 2Fill one cup with a little water and give a smaller cup.
- 3Let your toddler pour back and forth freely.
Toddlers can pour for 20+ minutes. It builds fine motor skills.
Sponge Squeeze Tray
- 1Soak sponges in water and place in a shallow tray.
- 2Let your toddler squeeze, squish, and pat them.
- 3Add food colouring to water for extra sensory interest.
Tupperware Tower
- 1Stack plastic containers from biggest to smallest.
- 2Let your toddler knock them over — they love it!
- 3Help them rebuild and try stacking themselves.
The 'knock down' phase is just as developmental as the building phase.
